


It's a Wonderful Night Before A Christmas Carol, Tony.

by Jennyrosity



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, It's a Wonderful Life, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 00:01:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17131181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jennyrosity/pseuds/Jennyrosity
Summary: It's Christmas Eve and time to watch The Greatest Christmas Movie Ever Made (no, not Die Hard - the other one) - but where's Tony?Some Christmas fluff - which will make more sense if you're familiar with It's A Wonderful Life.





	It's a Wonderful Night Before A Christmas Carol, Tony.

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote on my phone whilst travelling home for Christmas, so please forgive any errors.

"Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the Tower (which was lit up like the world's biggest Christmas tree - "but with more me", as Tony would put it) the Avengers were assembling - in the den, ready for a Christmas Eve movie night.

Like a star-spangled soccer mom, Steve was ensuring his team had all the essentials to survive the evening ahead:

"Ok, so we've got cinnamon popcorn, gingerbread, Christmas cookies, hot chocolate for me and Bucky, mulled wine for Nat and Bruce, mead for Thor, and eggnog for Clint. Have I missed anything?"

"What's Tony having?"

"Ah, Tony never watches this movie Buck. Says he hates this it", Steve explained.

"But I thought you said It's a Wonderful Life was...."

".... the best Christmas movie ever, and yes, it is. It may be the best movie ever, period. But Tony says the only Christmas movie worth watching is Die Hard, and we always watch that afterwards, so he just skips this one and join us later. Anyway, come on, grab some popcorn and let's get a good seat. I can't wait for you to see it, you're going to love it."

                      -----------

"Atta boy, Clarence!"

As JARVIS gently raised the lights, the sound of Clint's happy-but-noisy sobs were only drowned out by Thor loudly blowing his nose and announcing "verily, it remains a most moving tale!". Bruce discreetly handed Natalie a Kleenex as she insisted she "just got something in my eye, damn it!", and Steve turned to Bucky and demanded to know:

"Did ya love it, Bucky? Did ya???"

"I....yeah, alright, punk, I loved it, you were right. Best Christmas movie ever."

"Right??! Ok, JARVIS give me a moment to make some more snacks and drinks, and then call Tony up."

"Don't worry, J, I'll get him" announced Bucky, already heading for the elevator.

"You pining already Barnes? It's only been a couple of hours - OWW! Nat, the Winter Soldier just threw gingerbread at me!"

"You deserved it Clint."

                        ------------

"Hey Barnes. You here to tell me the festive suck-fest is over for another year and it's time to watch an actually good movie?"

"If by that you mean did you miss out on watching THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER, then yes."

"Oh god, they got to you too! I had such high hopes for you, Winter Failure, but you've let me down. Let's go watch Die Hard, see if there's still hope for you or whether you're a completely lost cause."

"Sure, but first, Tony, I have to know - why do you hate it? I don't get it, I thought you'd love it - the good guy, always looking out for the ordinary people, defending them against the forces of evil, no matter how the great the odds stacked against him? How could you not love George Bailey?"

"Please, it's an overly-sentimental, emotionally manipulative nostalgia fest that harks back to a golden age of America that never actually existed and anyw-"

"Tony."

"I just...I don't want to be Potter, ok??!"

"Huh?"

"I used to love the movie. Used to watch it every Christmas with Ana and Jarvis - the original Jarvis, I mean. But then I got older, and I went to college and I realised, the rich guy every one hates? Yeah. Me. So sorry if I don't want to be reminded of that every Christmas Eve!"

"Are you kidding me? You're not Potter, for Christ's sake!"

"Well I'm sure as hell not George Bailey!"

"No, of course you're not, Steve is - he's the original little guy who won't back down from a fight for what he believes in. I'm clearly Harry Bailey, the good-looking vet who's missing for most of the action but comes back to help out his brother when he needs him most. And you? You're the flashy, rich playboy who turns out to be a much better friend to the hero then he ever realised and literally saves the day at the last minute with a big, showy gesture."

"... What?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're Sam Wainwright!"

Bucky had to grin at the adorably confused look on Tony's face as he tried to remember the minor character, and decided to give him a clue. Leaning in to Tony, and enjoying the way his pupils dilated, making his brown eyes almost black, as he did so; he put his lips close to his ear and whispered:

"Hee haw, Tony!"

...before fleeing back to the den, pursued by Iron Man and his yells of "no way, Barnes, that is not a thing! WE ARE NOT MAKING THAT A THING, DAMN IT!!!"

                      -----------

I'd like to tell you that by next Christmas, Tony did indeed watch It's A Wonderful Life with the rest of the team, curled up in the Winter Soldier's arms and grinning ruefully at his whispered "hee-haws" every time Sam Wainwright came on screen, because what else would he do when it's Christmas, and also the anniversary of their first kiss (discretely, by the glow of the tree lights, and causing them to miss Hans Gruber plummeting to his death).

I'd like to tell you that, but I, the Ghost of Christmas Present, have no business speculating on Christmasses Yet To Come, so instead I shall just wish a Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night...


End file.
